Department of Art & Art History Phot 40, Beginning Photography, sect. 03, Spring 2014

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1 Department of Art & Art History Phot 40, Beginning Photography, sect. 03, Spring 2014 Contact Information Instructor: Office Location: Robert Dawson 401D Duncan Hall Telephone: Office Hours: MW 11:30 12:30 Class Days/Time: M/W 6:00 8:50 Classroom: Prerequisites: 410 Duncan Hall Willingness to work hard Faculty Web Page and MYSJSU Messaging (Optional) Course materials such as syllabus, handouts, notes, assignment instructions, etc. can be found on my faculty web page at You are responsible for regularly checking with the messaging system through MySJSU (or other communication system as indicated by the instructor) to learn any updates. Course Description Photo 40: Beginning Photography A beginning photography course which introduces students to basic aesthetic issues in image making as well as photographic technique utilizing digital cameras, electronic image processing and printing. Now taught digitally, requires a DSLR type (digital) camera. Requires Adobe Lightroom. Course Goals and Learning Objectives - Acquire basic understanding of digital photographic materials, process, and equipment - Gain skill in handling and application of equipment and process - Become familiar with historical developments of photography - Become familiar with basic elements of the photographic image - Acquire understanding of visual communication and aesthetic appreciation Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 1 of 11

2 -Understand and use digital photographic materials, Process, and equipment -Understand historical developments of photography -Understand basic elements of the photographic image -Understand basic visual communication and aesthetic appreciation Required Texts/Readings Textbook The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Book by Martin Evening ISBN-10: Available in SJSU Bookstore Please look for all these books at the Student Union bookstore, a local bookstore or from an online bookseller Other Readings Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4: A Photographer s Handbook by Stephen Laskevitch ISBN-10: Light and Lens: Photography in the Digital Age by Robert Hirsch ISBN-10: X. Available in SJSU Bookstore Other equipment / material requirements - Digital Camera with a minimum of 6-mega-pixel capacity [preferably with adjustable shutter speeds and "f" stops]. The more automatic your camera is, the less you will learn how your camera works. Cameras with a manual mode are best. The following are some suggested digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras with full manual controls: Nikon - D40, D50, D70s, D80, etc. Canon - EOS Digital Rebel (XT, XTi, 10D, 20D, 30D) Olympus - Evolt 300, 330, 500 Pentax - K100D, K110D, K10D Panasonic - Lumix DMC FZ7s, FZ30s, FZ50s Laptop computer (must have USB ports, and a DVD burner is recommended) Adobe Lightroom 3, 4 or 5 Software (available at the student store for $99.00) Compact Flash Card, or other Memory Card suitable for your digital camera. 1GB recommended. - USB jump drive. (flash drive) Card Reader for the above media. (optional) DVD-R or DVD+R media (depending on your burner) to backup your important projects. - Mounting Board - White or cream colored, smooth surface, 11 X 14 or 14 X 18 inches - Portfolio Envelope - Please put your name on the outside. Work will not be accepted without an envelope - Package of lens cleaning tissue and bottle of lens cleaning fluid - Copy of San Jose State Lab Manual (see web page) Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 2 of 11

3 OPTIONAL SUPPLIES: [but recommended] - Cable Release (check camera first) - Tripod Course Requirements and Assignments CLASS ASSIGNMENTS Due Date 3/3 Beginning Technical Assignment: This assignment is intended to get you started working with your camera and making images. Hand in ten jpegs on any subject of your choice. You should include at least one image utilizing each of the following techniques 1) Great depth of field 2) Shallow depth of field 3) Fast shutter speed 4) Slow shutter speed. Remember to use these techniques in the most appropriate situations. These images will be submitted on a flash drive. 4/2 Happiness Assignment: Make five or more prints (8X10 or 8X12 inches or larger) that depicts what makes you happy or what you really value. NO PHOTOS OF ANY DIGITAL MEDIA WILL BE ACCEPTED (ie. smart phone, computers, any digital games, etc.). Think of this as essentially a selfportrait. BE CREATIVE! You will be graded on it. These images do not have to be mounted. Print quality matters and will affect your grade. Allow time to redo prints if necessary. 4/16 Color Assignment: Make five or more prints (8X10 or 8X12 inches or larger) that examine color and color relationships. Using Josef Albers Squares as a starting place make five images that examine different colors groupings. Print quality and photo content will be given equal importance for your grade. Again, these images do not have to be mounted. Turn in copies of the original Albers Squares that you used along with each of your prints. 4/28 Our Times Assignment: Hand in at least five prints (8X10 or 8X12 inches or larger) that symbolize our culture and our time. Again, NO PHOTOS OF ANY DIGITAL MEDIA WILL BE ACCEPTED (ie. smart phone, computers, any digital games, etc.). Again, use your imagination. Don t be literal. Think outside of the box. Draw from the work shown in class. These prints must be mounted or over matted. Again, print quality matters and will affect your grade. Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 3 of 11

4 5/12 Final Project: Hand in a portfolio of at least ten prints (8X10 or 8X12 inches or larger) or a book of at least twenty images on a project of your choice. All images should be on one subject. Professor Dawson should approve your final project subject earlier in the semester. Final Project prints must be mounted or over matted. Again, print quality matters for either the book or your prints. Make sure to allow time to redo prints or book if necessary. Late work will NOT be accepted. NOTE: Any work handed in late will be marked down one full grade per class session late. Under extreme hardship situations, work can be handed in after the due date with the instructor's permission. NOTE: All assignments must include your name or you will not get credit for your work. NOTE: All assignments are graded equally for creativity and technique. For each assignment you will be given one grade for each. NOTE: Each assignment is worth the same (approximately 14% of your grade) with the Final Project worth twice as much (approximately 28% of your grade). Class participation (defined by participation in class discussions, asking questions, answering questions, initiating conversations about the class, etc.) is approximately 16% of your final grade. Although these numbers are approximate they should provide an idea of what is required to get a good grade. SJSU classes are designed such that in order to be successful, it is expected that students will spend a minimum of forty-five hours for each unit of credit (normally three hours per unit per week), including preparing for class, participating in course activities, completing assignments, and so on. Grading Policy A = Hand in all four assignments of outstanding quality and on time. Also, hand in an outstanding final portfolio {10 prints or book}. Actively participate in class discussions. B = All the above but below the highest quality. C= All the above but of average quality. D = All the above of average quality minus one assignment, Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 4 of 11

5 F = Work of poor quality minus more than one assignment, or failure to turn in 2 of the 5 assignments, failure to demonstrate knowledge of visual and technical skills covered in the course. EXTRA CREDIT One of the following assignments is available for you to improve your grade. - Book Report. Do at least a three-page report on a photography book of your choice. Critically analyze what you read. - Gallery Report. Do at least a three page report on your visit to a gallery or museum that is showing a photographic exhibition. Critically analyze the show. Explaining how much you liked or did not like the show does not count. - Get your photograph published. Get one or more of your photographs published in a newspaper, magazine, newsletter, book, etc. - Get your photograph exhibited in a show. Get one or more of your photographs exhibited in a show in a gallery, coffee shop, museum, etc. - Research one photographer and turn in a report. Do at least a three page report on a photographer of your choice critically analyzing the photographer s contribution to photography. - Project of your choice. Based on prior approval from me, produce a photographic project of your choice. A minimum aggregate GPA of 2.0 SJSU Studies (R, S, & V) shall be required of all students as a graduation requirement. To see full text, go to Classroom Protocol I make most of the important class announcements at the beginning of class. If you are late you will miss essential information that may later affect your grade. Chronic lateness may lead to being dropped from the class. It is your responsibility to make up missed class sessions. It is very important that you do not miss class demonstrations as they will not be repeated. Inevitably the class you miss will be needed later, so be prepared! Texting and non-classroom computer use in class is prohibited. Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 5 of 11

6 University Policies Dropping and Adding Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester s Catalog Policies section at Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at The Late Drop Policy is available at Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes. Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material University Policy S12-7, requires students to obtain instructor s permission to record the course. Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor s permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material. o It is suggested that the greensheet include the instructor s process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis. o In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well. Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent. Academic integrity Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 at requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of another as your own, or the use of another person s ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless otherwise specified. If you would like to include your assignment or any material you have Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 6 of 11

7 submitted, or plan to submit for another class, please note that SJSU s Academic Integrity Policy S07-2 requires approval of instructors. Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive at requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at to establish a record of their disability. Student Technology Resources (Optional) Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center at located on the 1st floor of Clark Hall and in the Associated Students Lab on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your department/college. Computers are also available in the Martin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items include DV and HD digital camcorders; digital still cameras; video, slide and overhead projectors; DVD, CD, and audiotape players; sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors. SJSU Peer Connections (Optional) Peer Connections, a campus-wide resource for mentoring and tutoring, strives to inspire students to develop their potential as independent learners while they learn to successfully navigate through their university experience. You are encouraged to take advantage of their services which include course-content based tutoring, enhanced study and time management skills, more effective critical thinking strategies, decision making and problem-solving abilities, and campus resource referrals. In addition to offering small group, individual, and drop-in tutoring for a number of undergraduate courses, consultation with mentors is available on a drop-in or by appointment basis. Workshops are offered on a wide variety of topics including preparing for the Writing Skills Test (WST), improving your learning and memory, alleviating procrastination, surviving your first semester at SJSU, and other related topics. A computer lab and study space are also available for student use in Room 600 of Student Services Center (SSC). Peer Connections is located in three locations: SSC, Room 600 (10th Street Garage on the corner of 10 th and San Fernando Street), at the 1st floor entrance of Clark Hall, and in the Living Learning Center (LLC) in Campus Village Housing Building B. Visit Peer Connections website at for more information. Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 7 of 11

8 SJSU Writing Center (Optional) The SJSU Writing Center is located in Clark Hall, Suite 126. All Writing Specialists have gone through a rigorous hiring process, and they are well trained to assist all students at all levels within all disciplines to become better writers. In addition to one-on-one tutoring services, the Writing Center also offers workshops every semester on a variety of writing topics. To make an appointment or to refer to the numerous online resources offered through the Writing Center, visit the Writing Center website at For additional resources and updated information, follow the Writing Center on Twitter and become a fan of the SJSU Writing Center on Facebook. (Note: You need to have a QR Reader to scan this code.) SJSU Counseling Services (Optional) The SJSU Counseling Services is located on the corner of 7 th Street and San Fernando Street, in Room 201, Administration Building. Professional psychologists, social workers, and counselors are available to provide consultations on issues of student mental health, campus climate or psychological and academic issues on an individual, couple, or group basis. To schedule an appointment or learn more information, visit Counseling Services website at Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 8 of 11

9 Phot 40, Sect. 03/ Beginning Photography, Spring 2014, M/W 6:00 8:50 Course Schedule Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines 1 1/27 1/29 2 2/3 2/5 3 2/10 1. Class structure and materials. - Registration / Show Great Central Valley book and Farewell, Promised Land book/ Show digital books 2. Camera Operations. - Go over camera use/ Show camera operations slides/ Show and discuss slides of Beginnings of Photography, Dorothea Lange, Robert Doisneau, Philippe Halsman, Martin Parr, Angela Filo/ Show Light slides 3. Digital Photography - Digital cameras. scanners and printers vs. traditional cameras, film and darkrooms. An overview of digital materials at the SJSU lab/ A brief introduction to the controls of digital photography/ Show Introduction to Digital Photography slides/ Aperture s Digital Images slides/ Photos by Nancy Burson, Manual (Ed Hill and Suzanne Bloom), Andreas Gursky, Chris Jordan and Pedro Meyer/ Full Moon and 100 Suns by Mike Light/ Camera questions-students bring in their digital cameras 4. Working in Lightroom Introduction to Lightroom and Working in the Library Mode. Keeping things simple, the modular design, camera RAW settings, color controls, the Lightroom workflow and managing your digital images, installing and getting started/ Importing images, organizing images, viewing the library, assigning ratings, exporting images/adobe Lightroom tutorials/ Slides by Diane Arbus, Nick Nixon, Rineke Dijkstra, Sylvia Plachy/ Photograph students + download images 5. Working in Lightroom - Working in the Develop Mode. Process the image with color correction and white balance, histogram panel, tone curves, black and white conversion, image retouching /Photo Succession and Camerawork/ Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, Minor White, Ed Ruscha, Barbara Kruger, Mandel + Sultan s Evidence, Larry Sultan, Jeff Wall, D. Hilliard, Amy Franceschini Victory Gardens 2/12 6. Working in Lightroom - Working in the Print Mode. Preparing for printing, the print module, image settings panel, multi cell printing, page setup, printing/ Discussion of where to have photos printed including Costco, Photo Express, Pictopia, Photo Works SF, Light Waves/ David Maisel On Printing / Slides by Weegee, Vivian Maier, Larry Clark, Philip Lorca di Corcia, Dan Eldon, Gregory Crewdson/ show different types of printing papers 4 2/17 7. Working in Lightroom - Working in the Slide Show and Web Modes. The Slideshow Module, the Web Module Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 9 of 11

10 Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines 2/19 5 2/24 Portrait and Self Portrayal - Self Portrait slides and the work of John Coplans, Tseng Kwon Chi, Nikki S. Lee, Lorna Simpson, Bill Washburn/ Keith Carter, Bastienne Schmidt, Phil Borges, Sage Sohier, Margie Haney, Terese Hague, Joe Claus, Aziz + Cucher/ Thomas Struth, Sally Mann/ Start looking at student work 8. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom (individual meetings with Professor Dawson) 9. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom (individual meetings with Professor Dawson)* 2/26 6 3/3 3/5 7 3/10 3/12 8 3/17 3/19 9 3/24 3/ /31 4/2 10. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom (individual meetings with Professor Dawson) 11. Beginning Technical assignment critique Show ten astounding, finished images on a flash drive in class. Everything due at beginning of class 12. Discussion on web sites, Flickr, etc. Mark Darley, Robert Dawson, David Maisel, Laura Sackett, Stanley Greenberg, Ami Vitale, Michael Wolf, Susan Derges, Walker Dawson Thinking in Black and White Thinking in B/W slides, Dave Goldes, Don Bartletti, Abelardo Morell Thinking in Color Intro to Color and Color At Night slides, Sergy Produdin-Gorsky, Helen Levitt, Elinor Carrucci/ Homage to Josef Albers Squares by Stuart A. Green + student s examples/ Discuss Happiness Assignment 13. Our Times NY Times website Lens / What Matters/ John Gutmann, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Gordon Parks, Jim Hubbard Shooting Back, Mary Ellen Mark, Jim Goldberg Rich and Poor, Sabastiao Salgado, Reagan Louie, Born Into Brothels/ O. Winston Link, Martin Chambi, Joel Sternfeld, This Is New York, Richard Misrach New Orleans 14. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 15. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 16. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 17. SPRING BREAK No class 18. SPRING BREAK No class 19. CHAVEZ DAY HOLIDAY No class 20. Happiness assignment critique Show five incredible prints. These prints should be 8X10 inches or 8X12 inches (or larger) and Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 10 of 11

11 Week Date Topics, Readings, Assignments, Deadlines 11 4/7 4/9 12 4/14 4/ /21 4/ /28 4/ /5 do not have to be mounted. Everything is due at the beginning of class 21. Demonstration of printing on the Epson printer Making a Digital Photographic Book In class exploration of Apple s ibook, Lulu.com, Blurb.com, Flickr.com, and other digital book options/ Slides of Photography and Landscape, Carleton Watkins, Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Marilyn Bridges, Lynn Davis and Trevor Paglan/ Short discussion on Photoshop controls such as stitching, HDR and perspective control, Daniel Leivick/ Finishing - Mounting and over matting photographs/ Discussion of upcoming assignments 22. Open Lab Lab time* 23. Open Lab Lab time 24. Color assignment critique Show five awesome prints. These prints should be 8X10 inches or 8X12 inches (or larger) and do not have to be mounted. Everything is due at the beginning of class 25. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 26. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 27. Our Times assignment due Show five stunning prints. Prints must be turned in mounted or over-matted 28. Demonstration of a Silver Print A brief introduction to working in a traditional black and white darkroom. We will demonstrate traditional film and black and white photo paper/ Open lab after demonstration. 29. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 5/7 30. Open Lab work together in the classroom using Lightroom 16 5/ Final Project due Show the best work you have ever done as ten new, mounted or over-matted prints or a twenty-image book. All Extra Credit due as well Final Exam 5/14 DH Room :30 NOTE: This schedule is subject to change by the instructor. You will be informed in class and by of any changes. Beginning Photography, Phot 40, Spring, 2014 Page 11 of 11